Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Cost of Jewish Education

It is an encouraging and unprecedented form of Achdus (unity)
among American Jewry. We now have three
separate Jewish Organizations working together in common cause. Agudath Israel
(AI), the Orthodox Union (OU) and UJA –
Federation of New York have joined forces seeking the same thing for the
benefit of Klal Yisroel. They are lobbying for passage of the Parental Choice in Education Act.

Although AI and the OU have in the past worked
together lobbying state and federal legislators in this regard, to the best of
my knowledge this is the first time the secular Jewish establishment has joined
them. If I remember correctly they have in the past opposed the very cause
they are working for now, tax relief for parochial school parents. Having argued that
this would be a church/state violation, they seem to have reversed course.

I guess that now famous Pew report about the shrinkage of
American Jewry has had its impact. A shrinkage due to the fact that increasing numbers of secular
Jews are indifferent to their heritage and assimilating out of Judaism to the
point of intermarriage. Something that can easily be traceable to the lack of any
significant Jewish education on their part. This has obviously made an
impression on them. I think they finally realize that educating Jewish youth is
the key to stemming that tide. Something that Chicago’s Jewish Federation
realized decades ago.

This is a good thing. Even as it is opposed by public school
officials who believe that it will harm their own interests… and claiming that
it would be a violation of church/state separation.

I can see how they would say that. After all any government
program that benefits religious schools can easily be seen that way. They see
hundreds of millions of dollars in the form of tax breaks being diverted to
religious schools. I don’t see it that
way. If the government is going to mandate educating its young, it ought to do
it in a way that provides school choice for all. As long as the money provided goes
directly for the same subject matter taught in the public schools, I see no church
state issue.

Those who see any money being spent in a religious school even if
spent on non religious subjects as a violation of church state issues do not impress
me with their arguments. Clearly if subject
matter being taught is identical there
is no violation. And giving tax breaks for
that portion of tuition that provides secular subjects is even less
problematic. The bill is supported by the governor. But I do understand the
opposition. It’s all about the bottom line.

Not that this bill - if it passes - will completely solve
the tuition crisis. It will help. But there will still be a shortfall in many parochial
school budgets. In some cases it is because tuitions in schools that offer quality
educations in both religious and secular subjects are so high that for most
people a tax break will not offset the cost of educating all of their children.
Certainly not in larger families. And
in some of the more right wing schools where many Kollel type families send
their children - incomes are lower and the number of children they send to
the school is higher. This results in a greater cost to the school with less
revenue coming in to pay for it.

Now that major Jewish organizations understand the value –
the need – for Jewish education in order to survive… and the lack of adequate funding, I
don’t think it is asking too much for them to re-prioritize their allocations. After
supporting the poor, the sick, and the elderly, Jewish education ought to be
the highest priority. Far ahead of supporting social programs, subsidizing Jewish
Centers …or cultural centers… or even Holocaust museums. Even ahead of
supporting Israel.

Finally I would take note of an event that happened
recently. Harvard University was given a $400 million donation. While
supporting an institution like Harvard is a worthy cause, one has to take into
account need. Harvard is probably the most well endowed university in the
world. I doubt that they have a budget crisis. They were probably doing just fine
without that 400 million dollars. That money would have done a lot more good in
some other worthy organization that needs the money.

I mention this in order to ask those in the Jewish community at large
(no matter what denomination they belong to) if they have this kind of wealth
to consider giving that kind of donation specifically to Jewish education. If
they have any feeling at all for their Jewish heritage and want to see it
perpetuated, they should understand what needs to be done. Just as the Jewish
Federation of New York now does.

Can anyone imagine if someone donated $400 million dollars
to the federation earmarked for Jewish education – how that would benefit us? And if there is one
Jew that can afford that kind of donation, there are probably a lot more. There
is not a doubt in my mind that we could stop the hemorrhaging of Jews out of Judaism
if that kind of money was spent educating Jewish youth.

The Jewish Federation of New York should start a campaign educating
the masses about the importance of Jewish education to the very survival of Judaism.
A campaign unlike anything that was ever tried in the past. Wealthy Jews of all
stripes need to be convinced of that existential need. If successful it could
go a long way to solving the tuition crisis - and a lot more. Imagine the possibilities.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.